Monday, April 16, 2007

Knights of Charlemagne

Subject: Math
Category: Matching, sets
Ages: 8 and up
# of players: 2 to 4
Time to play: 20 minutes
Mechanics/Game Type: Card management, tile collection

Ratings (1 to 5)

Educational Value: 2
Gaming value: 3
Aesthetic value: 5
Price value: 4
Ease of play: 5 (easy once you figure out how it plays)
Younger adaptability: 5

My comments: This simple, fast-paying game has a set of 20 tiles set out in 2 rows and 1 cathedral bonus tile at the end. One row has 5 manor tiles numbered 1 to 5 and 5 city tiles of 5 different colors; the other row has all treasure tiles. The cards have both a color and a number. Each player takes turns placing a card to match either the color of the tiles or the number of the tiles. A green 4, for example, can be placed either next to the green tile or the 4 tile. When all the cards are played, whoever played the most cards next a tile keeps it, while the opponent keeps the less-valuable treasure tile. A few more rules not mentioned add more depth to the game. 4 players play as teams; 3 players require an extra space be made among the tiles for that player to place cards.

The tiles and cards are richly colorful; the tiles and box are thick. There's even a touch of geography on the manor and city tiles, as well as the history reference in the title. You do more math than anything in this game, though the skills are those already mastered by kids old enough to play. This is a nice quick game on a busy homeschooling day.

BoardGameGeek.com link to this game: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/182

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Iguana Factor, The

Subject: Math
Category: Arithmetic
Ages: 8 and up
# of players: 2 to 4
Time to play: 30 minutes
Mechanics/Game Type: Abstract strategy

Ratings (1 to 5)

Educational Value: 3
Gaming value: 3
Aesthetic value: 5
Price value: 2 (see comment about spinner)
Ease of play: 4
Younger adaptability: 5 (the game doesn't require you actually know any factors.)

My comments: This game is a good one for reciting or familiarizing, rather than drilling, products. It's abstract strategy gives the game some interest, even for older kids and adults.

The colorful, thick board is a multiplication table; the object of the game is to make a path from one side of the board to the other with your chips. You spin the colorful, cardboard, three-layered spinner (see comment below) to create a multiplication problem, then put your chip on the answer on the board. If the space you want to cover is already taken, you can place your chip on any space with that same answer (so if 2 x 3 = 5 and 3 x 2 = 5 are taken, you can put it on the 1 x 5 or 5 x 1 answer space, which reviews different factors for the same product.) If all the spaces with that product are taken then you can bump someone off of it. The abstract strategy is that you can "capture" (put your chips on) blank spaces if two of your chips align in a row, column, or diagonal. You can also turn an opponent's single chip to your color by surrounding it on opposite and adjacent sides. You have 25 chips; if you place them all on the board (and we have) then you must decide which chip to remove in order to cover the new product.

Two things disappointed me about this game. First, it requires no memorization of facts since all answers are revealed on the board. (I'll have to come up with some sort of modification for this.) Second, the eye-catching spinner doesn't spin well. You hold the bottom layer to spin the middle layer, then you hold the middle layer to spin the top layer. In each case the spinner does not make at least one full revolution before stopping. Since the spinners have 1 through 10 plus 2 "pick a factor" spots, I replaced the spinner with two dodecahedra (12-sided) dice, which work just fine. I do, however, like abstract strategy, so that keeps me coming back to play this game.

BoardGameGeek.com link to this game: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/17175

Poison

Subject: Math
Category: Arithmetic
Ages: 8 and up
# of players: 3 to 6
Time to play: 30 minutes
Mechanics/Game Type: Card management

Ratings (1 to 5)

Educational Value: 3
Gaming value: 4
Aesthetic value: 4 (though some may find graphics objectionable)
Price value: 5
Ease of play: 5
Younger adaptability: 5 (so long as kids can hold a lot of cards)

My comments: This game is easy and fast to play. It comes with 50 cards and 3 thick cardboard cauldrons. The colorful cards have flasks filled with red, blue, or purple liquid and a number from 0 to 7, as well as lime green poison bottles. You place cards into cauldrons (only one color is allowed in each cauldron except poison, which can go in any.) If you place a card in the cauldron that puts the sum over 13, then you take all the cards in that cauldron. At the end, whoever has the most of any color card does not have to count that color towards his/her total; otherwise, cards are 1 point and poison cards are 2 points (poison cards are never eliminated from the count!) Whoever has the most points loses.

This is a good game to practice simple addition. Younger kids can certainly play, though holding a lot of cards may be difficult, and they may not fully grasp the strategy (that never stops us from playing.) The box states 10 and up, but I list it as 8 and up and it can be played by younger kids, too.

The box depicts an evil alchemist mixing potions in a cauldron (see boardgamegeek link for pictures.) Check the images to see if you find it appropriate for your home.

BoardGameGeek.com link to this game: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/17025

Friday, April 13, 2007

Totally Tut

Subject: Math
Category: Arithmetic
Ages: 6 and up
# of players: 2 to 4
Time to play: 30 minutes
Mechanics/Game Type: tile placement

Ratings (1 to 5)

Educational Value: 5
Gaming value: 3
Aesthetic value: 4
Price value: 4
Ease of play: 5
Younger adaptability: 1

My comments: Totally Tut is reminiscent of Scrabble in that you pick tiles of numbers that sit in a tray in front of you and you put them on the board to form equations. What is different is that each player randomly picks an answer tile that goes at the top of his/her pyramid, and then you use the tiles to make a 4-number, 3-number, and 2 number equation for the answer on your pyramid.

This game is better for kids that pretty much know their facts and you are trying to reinforce them, or to use in place of a drill sheet. When played with just the +/- tiles, the game is pretty simple and moves right along. When you add in multiplication/division, then the possibilities of creating equations with the desired answer becomes large and the game moves much more slowly. The game is intuitively modifiable to be able to play with just multiplication/division to practice those skills if so desired. the game includes a spinner at the center of the board to add a bit of unpredictability to the game: draw a number, steal a number, trade a number, or no new number.

The board is well-made and very colorful with fun cartoon graphics. The trays are thick folded cardboard that could be a little better made, and have such a low angle that it is hard to keep tiles concealed from other players. The "red" (per instructions) level 2 answer triangles are actually an orange that's just a shade darker than the basic answer tiles; the "pink" (per instructions) tiles are actually purple. The tile sets all came in their own sealing plastic bag, which is a nice touch!

If you are an adult that likes working with numbers in much the same way as Scrabble players do with letters, then your family will not grow out of this game. (You might want to check out the game Equate as well!)

BoardGameGeek.com link to this game: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/11537

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Marco Polo Expedition

Subject: History
Category: Geography
Ages: 8 and up
# of players: 2 to 5
Time to play: 45 minutes
Mechanics/Game Type: card management

Ratings (1 to 5)

Educational Value: 3
Gaming value: 5
Aesthetic value: 5
Price value: 5
Ease of play: 4
Younger adaptability: 3 (need to be able to hold cards and match the symbols and colors; no reading required.)

My comments: A game designed by Reiner Knizia and made by Ravensburger is bound to be good, and this one is. Players collect cards to match the color/goods pattern shown on the next open space to advance his/her caravan towards Kantshou then Daidu, collecting gold treasure chests along the way. Whoever has the most gold wins.

The instruction booklet (in 5 languages) has an extended paragraph about Marco Polo's travels. The board is beautiful, and had a little geography in that it shows Hormus, Kantshou, Daidu, Takla Makan, the Himalayas, and the Gobi Desert. The game pieces are merchants leading camels, and the stunning playing cards depict fruits, spices, oil, and silks, and merchants in 5 colors. This is the extent of the History/Geography information. We happen to be reading Marco Polo this year, and this game make a great leisure time adjunct.

Players can pick cards from the stack or 5 cards placed face up in their quest to collect the right combination of cards to advance their camel to the front of the caravan. The first player to reach a space with gold collects the gold. When the first player reached the Kantshou midpoint, all players receive gold in the amount of the space they are on, and then they all get placed on Kantshou. The game then continues through the second half of the board until someone reaches Daidu, when a second valuation occurs and the game ends. The instructions are a bit complicated to figure out, but the game is easy after the first time it's played. My 5 year old plays along with my 8 year old and myself without assistance.


BoardGameGeek.com link to this game: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/9139